Malaysia's communications regulator asked social media platforms to take down 18,785 pieces of content that violate the country's laws between 1 January and 21 January 2025, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said on 21 January1. He gave the figure at the launch of an online safety roadshow at the Universiti Malaysia Kelantan campus in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, the first stop of a nationwide campaign1.
Of the total, 84 percent related to online gambling and scams, five percent involved cyberbullying and four percent were advertisements for prohibited items, Fahmi said1. The remaining share was not broken down in the announcement1.
"We see that gambling and scams are indeed the largest category of content on social media platforms that the MCMC has requested to remove, even though we have been cooperating well, these platforms still allow these criminal activities to occur."
Fahmi said that once platforms are licensed, the government will ask social media service providers to impose restrictions on specific content1. He linked the campaign to the licensing of internet messaging and social media service providers, amendments to the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (Act 588) and new legislation under an Online Safety Act1. No dates for those measures were given in the announcement1.
Separately, Fahmi cited Royal Malaysia Police records showing online crime cases rose by 35,368 last year, with losses of RM1.5 billion, against 34,495 cases and RM1.22 billion in losses in 20231. He also said police and the MCMC ran an operation called "Ops Pedo Bersepadu" at the end of last year, arresting 13 suspects across six states and seizing more than 40,000 items of child sexual abuse material1.
| Category of content requested for takedown | Share of 18,785 items |
|---|---|
| Online gambling and scams | 84 percent |
| Cyberbullying | 5 percent |
| Advertisements for prohibited items | 4 percent |
What it means for players
The takedown requests target content on social media platforms, not players. The announcement does not say that any user accounts were actioned, that any player was investigated or that any site was blocked as a result of these 18,785 requests1. What it does show is that gambling-related posts and accounts on Malaysian social media are the single largest category the regulator is pushing platforms to remove, so promotions, agent pages and betting groups hosted on those platforms are the most exposed to removal1.
For anyone in Malaysia who encounters gambling offers through social media, the practical context is that the regulator classifies most of this material alongside scams rather than as ordinary advertising1. The police figures cited cover online crime generally, not gambling alone, and the announcement does not separate gambling losses from the RM1.5 billion total1. Malaysia's rules on what players themselves may face are set out in our guide to online gambling in Asia, with country detail in Can I Gamble in Malaysia?. Reporting routes and warning signs for fraudulent operators are covered in Online Gambling Scams in Malaysia and Gambling Scams and Safety in Asia.
What happens next
The online safety roadshow that began in Kelantan will be expanded nationwide, according to the announcement1. The government also intends to proceed with licensing of internet messaging and social media service providers, amendments to the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 and new legislation under an Online Safety Act1. No timetable for any of these steps has been reported1.
